The Peasant and the Devil

by The Brothers Grimm

　　

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There was once on a time a far-sighted, crafty peasant whose trickswere much talked about. The best story is, however, how he once gothold of the Devil, and made a fool of him. The peasant had one day beenworking in his field, and as twilight had set in, was making ready forthe journey home, when he saw a heap of burning coals in the middle ofhis field, and when, full of astonishment, he went up to it, a littleblack devil was sitting on the live coals. "Thou dost indeed sit upona treasure!" said the peasant. "Yes, in truth," replied the Devil,"on a treasure which contains more gold and silver than thou hast everseen in thy life!" "The treasure lies in my field and belongs to me,"said the peasant. "It is thine," answered the Devil, "if thou wilt fortwo years give me the half of everything thy field produces. Money Ihave enough of, but I have a desire for the fruits of the earth." Thepeasant agreed to the bargain. "In order, however, that no dispute mayarise about the division," said he, "everything that is above groundshall belong to thee, and what is under the earth to me." The Devil wasquite satisfied with that, but the cunning peasant had sown turnips.

　　Now when the time for harvest came, the Devil appeared and wanted totake away his crop; but he found nothing but the yellow withered leaves,while the peasant, full of delight, was digging up his turnips. "Thouhast had the best of it for once," said the Devil, "but the next timethat won't do. What grows above ground shall be thine, and what is underit, mine." "I am willing," replied the peasant; but when the time cameto sow, he did not again sow turnips, but wheat. The grain became ripe,and the peasant went into the field and cut the full stalks down to theground. When the Devil came, he found nothing but the stubble, and wentaway in a fury down into a cleft in the rocks. "That is the way to cheatthe Devil," said the peasant, and went and fetched away the treasure.

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